In cabinetry, a common task for furniture building includes the installation of metal drawer slides in cabinet boxes or furniture shells to build drawer cabinets, dressers, chests, desks, entertainment centers, and other drawer units. Proper functioning of drawers or pull-out shelves requires careful installation of a slide. A typical slide includes a stationary component and a movable component. The moving component is typically designed to slide in and out of a channel in the stationary component. Such slides are commonly referred to as “drawer slides” even when used for shelves. Typically, two slides are used for each drawer, with one on each of left and right sides of the drawer. The term “furniture” as used herein describes not only stand-alone pieces, but also built-in furniture such as cabinetry and shelving, for example.
In one typical installation, the stationary component of a slide is installed against an interior vertical side wall of a box or like structure into and out of which the drawer slides. Generally, the stationary components of the slides are installed in pairs on opposing interior vertical side walls of the box. The movable components are generally installed on opposing exterior vertical side walls of a drawer or shelf. The slides are oriented substantially horizontally lengthwise. If the pair of stationary components is not aligned at the same height and parallel to each other, the drawer or shelf may not slide correctly, resulting in binding, sticking, and other problems.
In another type of installation, the stationary component is installed in the center of the box. In this case, the movable component is generally installed on a bottom exterior horizontal surface of a drawer or shelf.